# 119-s-1959: A bill to protect integrity, fairness, and objectivity in decisions regarding access to classified information, and for other purposes.

119-s-1959, A bill to protect integrity, fairness, and objectivity in decisions regarding access to classified information, and for other purposes., is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Warner, Mark R. [D-VA] (D-VA); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2025-12-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1959
- As of: 2025-12-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-1959
- Congress: 119
- Title: A bill to protect integrity, fairness, and objectivity in decisions regarding access to classified information, and for other purposes.
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-06-05
- Sponsor: Sen. Warner, Mark R. [D-VA] (D-VA)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2025-12-21

## Summary

**Due process for security-clearance decisions**. This bill would make published, uniform procedures the exclusive path for deciding who may access classified information and create new appeal rights, independent review panels, and remedies for wrongful denials. - Covered persons, including military members, civilian employees, consultants, contractors, and representatives, would receive a detailed written explanation and be given the decision documents within 30 days. They may obtain counsel at their own expense and counsel can be granted limited-purpose access to classified materials. - Individuals would be able to request an adjudicative hearing with witness testimony and cross-examination rights. Agencies must complete reviews on average within 180 days after a hearing, and improper denials require corrective action including restoration and up to $300,000 in compensation. - Agencies would have to publish their procedures in the Federal Register within 180 days and post redacted final agency and panel decisions online consistent with Freedom of Information Act standards. Independent review panels of at least three employees with terms not to exceed two years would issue written findings, and a Security Executive Agent panel could remand or overturn decisions that violate constitutional or nondiscrimination rules.

## Cosponsors (1)

- Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME] (R-ME), 2025-06-05T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Pay and job restoration after wrongful denial: benefit, high. If enacted, and a review finds your clearance was wrongly denied or revoked, the agency would have to fix the harm and try to return you to your prior job. The agency could pay money for lost wages, benefits, or expenses caused by the improper denial or revocation. The total payment could not be mo…
- Legal limits and rights in clearance decisions: benefit, medium. If enacted, agencies would be required not to violate constitutional rights or discriminate when denying or revoking classified access. Agencies could not retaliate or coerce people for political activity. You would keep the right to appeal until the appeal ends, and agencies could not force you to…
- New appeals and review process for clearances: benefit, medium. If enacted, agencies would have to set up public internal appeals processes within 180 days and publish procedures. You could get a written reason and the documents behind a denial within 30 days and request a hearing within 30 days of getting them. Agencies would try to finish reviews on average w…
- Who is covered by new clearance rules: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would define a "covered person" to include most people who currently or formerly work for an agency in a job that needs classified access. That includes members of the Armed Forces, federal civilians, consultants, counsel, and some representatives. The President and Vice Presid…

## Related bills

- 119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act
- 119-s-554: United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025
- 119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026
- 119-s-4189: INSULIN Act of 2026
- 119-s-2178: Equal Dignity for Married Taxpayers Act of 2025
- 119-s-1459: Historic Tax Credit Growth and Opportunity Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-s-1959 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1959)

## Related
- [119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1748)
- [119-s-554: United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-554)
- [119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3990)
- [119-s-4189: INSULIN Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4189)
- [119-s-2178: Equal Dignity for Married Taxpayers Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2178)
- [119-s-1459: Historic Tax Credit Growth and Opportunity Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1459)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1959 (as of 2025-12-21).